Spellbreakers at Realm's Edge - part 5

The Melpomenian Aethervoid Pendulum

Mr Sludga and Mr Deadwood stood in the prow of the Cleavermaw, looking out over the forests below them. The ungainly ship rolled in the Autumn winds - it was unseasonably warm and dry - the month of Gloryson was almost always unceasingly rainy.

The two orruk Bosses took turns to look through a large brass telescope.

"It always moves along the same path." said Sludga. Deadwood nodded and handed back the spyglass.

"Aye. Back and forth, swinging like a clock... thing."

The subject of their observation was a great silvery axe, that seemed to slip in and out of solidity, trailing a wake of ghostly blue-white fires. The fabric of reality seemed to be torn by the swinging apparition. Contorted faces writhed in the flames, they continually appeared and moved around and disappeared again as the huge blade swept through the same stretch of forest over and over.

"It be an Aethermatic Pendula." said Dogwatch from behind them.

"No it ain't!" said Double Barrel sharpley, "It's Aethervoid. It's the Melpomenian, what the locals in the Toofless Dragon Inn was talking about.

Dogwatch rounded on Double Barrel and drew a blade.

"Aethermatic." he insisted, adding "Yer lubber." for emphasis.

Double Barrel put his had on one of the loaded pistols jammed into his belt but he didn't have time to draw it. As Dogwatch lunged forward Mr Sludga's meaty fist connected with the side of his head. The bearded orruk pirate dropped to the deck and the matter was settled. It was known as The Melpomenian Aethervoid Pendulum after that.

~ 🕱 ~

The Cleavermaws tracked down an Aethervoid Pendulum after following clues picked up in Blackrocks. When they were in a position to capture the Endless Spell they found a band of crypt ghouls were also persuing it.

Kaptain Mogrum stood by an Umbral Spellportal and had the distinct feeling he was being watched. He stared into the black rippling surface of the portal for a minute but he could only see another area of forest, with nothing recognisable in sight by which to place it.

A small band of ghouls, dressed in ragged scraps filthy of cloth, loped along behind their ghoul king.

A huge beast of a crypt-haunter called Mossblade, who wore a helmet made of a skull from some long-dead beast, prowled along near the other mordants.

Snaplock Harald took aim at the creature with his cannon but most of his shot took chucks of stone out of a mausoleum wall.

The Cleavermaws tried to get themselves into position to bind the Pendulum as it passed them, while not getting too close.

A few of them moved to intercept the mordants.

The Pendulum swung back toward the Shattered Circle, and the mordants.

The ghoul king charged at Harald, Sludga and Deadwood.

Bosun Higgs and a couple of deck hands ploughed into the ghouls on the Shattered Circle.

The Crypt Haunter attacked the orruks who were busy trying to bind the Endless Spell.

The fight around the Pendulum's path intensified.

Ledge Nud, Double Barrel and Dogwatch lurked in a graveyard and attempted to bind the spell too.

Mudshroud the ghoul king roared in triumph as all his opponents fell!

Bosun Higgs held on and fought hard as his mates went down.

Oiler Tunn and Ledger Nudd managed to focus the enchantments stitched into their pistols and bind the Pendulum.

King Mudshroud tried to take matters into his own hands.

Time and time again Kaptain Mogrum tried to cast Foot of Gork, but every time he either failed to manifest the powerful spell or Mudshroud unbound it.

The orruk Kaptain was growing frustrated and desperate.

Bosun Higgs started to gain the upper hand felling the ghouls one by one and somehow avoiding their festing claws!

Mogrum backed around the arcane Death Tree as the last of his crew battled with it, edging it closer and closer to the Dead Man's Chest.

Mossblade dealt with Oiler Tunn.

Higgs took out another ghoul and once again avoided becoming their dinner!

With a metallic shearing sound, the spell-energy of the Aethervoid Pendulum shredded then coalesced into the Dead Man's Chest and solidified into Shyishian Realmstone. Mogrum slammed the lid shut and the orruks fled back to their ship with their loot!

~ 🕱 ~

This was the Spellhunters Battleplan again (from Malign Sorcery). The Cleavermaws were able to claim a Minor Victory as the Aethervoid Pendulum was closer to their objective marker than the Court of Spades' and they still had models on the board at the end of the game.

Viktor used my Flesh Eater Courts warband for a bit of variety. They turned out to be a lot of fun in Skirmish! His view of this tale is

here.